Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House today to participate in this debate on Bill C-108 to remind the hon. members how important social housing is.
Social housing is an issue of great concern to me because I know how much some of the people in my riding who are living under the poverty line-50 per cent of the people in my riding are living under the poverty line and 28 per cent are on welfare-rely on social housing.
That is why, in April 1994, I presented in this House a motion requesting that several major measures be initiated, such as entering into agreements with the Government of Quebec to reactivate the co-operative housing program, putting in place a rental housing renovation assistance program and restoring the public housing program, and that Quebec oversee, of course, every aspect of these programs.
In response to that motion, government members assured me that social housing was a laudable and important principle. In particular, the parliamentary secretary to the solicitor general told me, with a hand on his heart, about the great co-operation between Quebec and its big brother, the federal government. He even criticized me, sardonically, for asking that the province be given back the moneys allocated to social housing, given the harmony that prevailed.
Nothing is settled yet. Worse still, particularly for a government elected on the basis of its commitments to social justice and dignity, nothing was even done. Nothing at all. As we say, nothing not. Sure, the nice principles remain nice. They are still used occasionally to illustrate the virtues of certain policies, particularly federal ones. We no longer believe them. But, for my constituents, for other Quebecers, and even for Canadians, nothing has changed.
Figures do not lie. They do not indulge in nice rhetoric. They do not wax eloquently on noble feelings. Figures are there and they tell the story. What do they tell us or, rather, what do they keep telling? They tell us that nothing has changed. Last year, the federal government did not build a single social housing unit. This year, it is a repeat performance, zero. You heard me right, zero. The federal government is no longer involved in building social housing units. It is content to express noble feelings.
Figures also tell us that, from 1989-90 to 1993-94, Quebec received barely 19 per cent of the total money spent by the CMHC. Yet, 25 per cent of the country's population live in Quebec. Moreover, during that same period, Quebec accounted for close to 30 per cent of Canadians living in inadequate dwellings.
Then they tell us that the federation is good for Quebecers. They try to make us feel guilty to want to leave such a nice family, a family that is so fair to one of its children. The facts speak for themselves, and eloquently so. For five years, the federal government acted in an absolutely unfair manner towards Quebecers living in inadequate dwellings. Then, it totally withdrew its support to social housing. It did not care at all. The results are tragic for Quebec: an estimated $1.3 billion shortfall, taking into account existing needs.
In the meantime, our Ontario neighbours, who were so fond of us just before the referendum, took considerable advantage of the federal manna. Now, let us look at figures. In 1991-92, Quebec received 19.3 per cent of the expenditures of the Central Mortgage and Housing Corporation. Ontario got 34 per cent. This is a difference of 14.7 per cent. I am not making it up, these are the figures.
In 1992-93, the difference between Quebec and Ontario was 16.8 per cent and, in 1993-94, it was 14.1 per cent. As I said a few moments ago, the figures speak very clearly. For those in my riding with housing problems, the figures do not count for much. What counts is results. In their experience, public housing is becoming a very rare commodity, especially in Quebec.
My constituents know that, for many of them, public housing is often their only means of getting decent and affordable housing. The 4,300 single mothers waiting for public housing in my riding know this to be so and do not find the situation amusing. The federal government got out of public housing without transferring tax points in exchange. Quebec is now stuck, as is happening in more and more instances, with needs to fill and no money to do it. So much for their great federalism, we have no use for it.